Problem: As society progresses, people are faced with an unnecessary amount of choices. In 2019, New York City, which is 302.6 square miles, had 23,650 restaurants to choose from. This has led the average consumer into “choice Overload,” where that prospect of too many choices is detrimental to the decision-making process. When asked, “what do you want to eat for lunch?” one is often met with “you decide,” “It does not matter to me,” or some response that does not directly answer the question. These delays increase the time between when one acknowledges one's hunger and when one eats. This only makes the decision process more difficult as everyone involved grows more hungry.
The other side to this problem is that many have issues with dietary restrictions that are not accommodated better in mainstream food delivery apps. Apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash allow users to make comments and special requests, but there is no guarantee. This lack of security is too huge a risk for someone with life-or-death allergies or medical conditions.
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Solution: This business would be through an app similar to other 3rd parties delivery-based food services apps like Uber Eats or Postmates. The user would sign up and then input their food-related or restaurant-related preferences, which could be changed at any time. The app would practically decide where or what the user is eating at that time, eliminating the need to make a choice. The key to success through this app would be an emphasis on speed of delivery. The goal is to shorten the amount of time between the initial thought of getting food and the user eating, leaving no room to second guess or be in a state of “choice overload.”
How to quickly grow the service: This app is a somewhat fun and controversial take on food service, and it can capitalize on that. Through modern social media marketing, the app can gain attention quickly and relatively easily through influencers and creators on these platforms who desire new content. The level of spontaneity the app presents, as it forces users to leave themselves to the app, is readily marketable, especially for a Gen Z and millennials market. Like a mystery box or lottery, there is an element of excitement associated with each use, which can be marketed using social media, sponsoring existing creators to spread the word, and using hashtags and original content to build the brand. Even more so, if this app can securely land itself as a trend through these marketing practices, then the Gen Z market, which values uniqueness and ethical market practices, will continue to market the app through its own content creation and word of mouth without extra cost.
In terms of ethical practices, if the app has a function that would allow the user to prioritize small businesses over large food chains and treat their drivers better than the larger food service company, then the app secured its ethical title.
In order to expand the company to hit another market, the app could provide a service that automatically filters out dietary and allergenic restrictions. This would allow the app to be usable for all types of people and capitalize on health fads as they come and go. In 2022, there were 23 million Americans on the Keto diet alone.
Monetization: The app would use a similar model to apps like Uber Eats, where the user is charged some extra sum as a delivery fee and a service fee. Furthermore, the app would have a function where restaurants could pay a repeated fee to be chosen more frequently. In addition to that, the app can house small ads for extra revenue.
Contributed by: Yuval Krispin (Billion Dollar Startup Ideas Intern)